The number of calves appearing in mart sales has fallen off sharply in recent weeks. A small number of marts in dairy strongholds are recording high double-digit throughput, with few exceeding 100 head on offer.

Many marts that would not normally handle significant numbers have finished calf sales or are handling small numbers.

The trade has held remarkably well, with still plenty of buyers looking for both reared and younger calves.

The average price paid for bull calves in the last week was €246, which is slightly ahead of the previous week.

The top third of bull calves averaged €381. This includes significant numbers of reared calves, with Angus and Hereford bulls aged three to four months old selling anywhere from €280 to €450 depending on quality.

Reared continental calves are tighter in supply, with prices rising to €500 to €550 or slightly higher for top-quality lots.

Younger Angus and Hereford bulls aged four to five weeks of age are selling from €170 to €260, with the best-quality lots capable of rising to €300 and likewise plainer types are falling back to €100 to €120. The bottom third of calves analysed through MartBids averaged €130. The trend was similar for heifer calves, with average prices running €20 to €30 lower compared with bull calves.

Dry cows harden

The dry cow trade has improved, with factory agents competing with specialist finishers and buyers purchasing for export to Northern Ireland.

The top third of cows averaged €1.81/kg in the last week, an increase of 8c/kg on the previous week.

The average price continues to be boosted by prices paid for U grading types and cow heifers, which are ranging from €1.80/kg to €2/kg.

The price paid for average grade cows increased 4c/kg to €1.50/kg. The bottom third of cows is unchanged at €1.18/kg.

Nice O grading slaughter-fit Friesian cows with weight on their side are trading from €1.20/kg to €1.35/kg.

Average-quality lots are selling back to €1.05/kg to €1.10/kg, while small numbers of poor-quality cows lacking flesh and unlikely to regain condition are selling from 80c/kg to 95c/kg.

Suckler trade

The top third of suckler cows on offer averaged in the region of €1,595, which represents an increase of €100 on last week.

The average was helped by a couple of clearance and special sales containing good-quality continental-bred cows and strong calves aged three to four months.

The average price was up €35 to €1,250, while the bottom third of outfits averaged €921.

The general trade ranged from €950 to €1,100 for medium-sized Angus and Hereford cows bred from the dairy herd and with young calves at foot.

Cattle trade

The price table gives a good snapshot of the trade for cattle and weanlings.

The trade in general is holding steady, with buyers who were quieter in recent weeks due to tight grass supplies helping to maintain a good level of competition.

The average price paid for heifers eased by 1c/kg to 4c/kg across many classes and many managers commented that this is partly due to a dilution in quality.

In contrast, the average price paid for heavy bullocks weighing upwards of 600kg increased by 4c/kg to 8c/kg with more bite from factory agents. Throughput of steers and heifers has also reduced in some sales by 5% to 10% on the previous week, with sales approaching their seasonal lull in activity.

The number of young weanling heifers weighing in excess of 400kg has reduced sharply, with the small number analysed not delivering a fair reflection of the trade.